Valere Aude eBook

The linen is saturated in two parts of water with
one part of vinegar, at 64 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit,
well wrung out, and is placed on the woollen material
in such a way that the latter extend about 2 to 3
inches on the upper and lower edge. The pack is
now placed around the back of the patient, who sits
in bed or is held in position by another. The
patient’s shirt is lifted and he is laid down
on the moist linen, which is then quickly raised on
both sides and folded over the abdomen. The same
is done with the woollen material, which is then fastened
tightly in the middle, the upper and lower corners
with three safety pins. Then the shirt is pulled
down and the patient is warmly covered.

In individual cases it is advisable sometimes to divide
the pack into a back and front compress of greater
proportions.

In such cases the woollen cloth, which is used for
the abdominal pack is placed underneath the patient
as before. A towel is folded 6 to 8 times, so
that it will grow warm slowly and thus may remain on
the body for a longer time. This is placed under
the back of the patient. Then two properly folded
towels, which are not wrung out very thoroughly, are
put on the abdomen, and tucked down a little on both
sides. The woollen cloth is thereupon fastened
so as to keep the compresses in place, the arrangement
being otherwise exactly as before. In such cases
the back compress only needs to be changed every 2
to 3 hours, even in case of severe fever. The
front towels may be changed several times in the meantime.

Since this system permits the application of the pack
without disturbing the patient and making him sit
up too often, it is very desirable in cases of severe
illness.

The undivided pack is often very uncomfortable for
patients suffering from respiratory complaints.

It is better to treat very excitable patients with
front compresses only.

When the stomach pack only is prescribed, as in catarrhal
and nervous, stomach or liver complaints, which pack
may be worn during the night as well as the day, a
long, wide mesh shawl, with a bandage, 7 to 8 inches
in width at each end, is most servicable, as it will
reach around the body 4 or 5 times. In order
to exclude the air as much as possible, the moist
compress is first applied, and then the shawl is placed
around the body in such a way that each succeeding
turn covers the previous one to about one-half, in
bandage form.

THE CROSS PACK (25)

This is applied in case of men’s diseases and
women’s diseases of the sexual organs.
To the woollen material and the linen crash of the
abdominal pack, another piece, about half as long and
about 7 inches wide, is sewed or pinned before application,
in the form of a T.

[Illustration: No. 2]

Before the two ends of the abdominal pack are folded
over on the front of the abdomen, the narrower piece
is drawn up between the legs from behind, so that
the end of it can be fastened to the two sides of the
abdominal part of the pack that are folded over in
front.